An upper and lower path switching device for a traveling body for transportation is described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H04-350017 (hereinafter, referred to as a known document), however, to safely and smoothly transfer the traveling body for transportation between the elevating guide rail and upper and lower fixed guide rails, it is necessary to accurately stop the elevating guide rail that moves vertically at a position at which the elevating guide rail is connected to the upper or lower fixed guide rail at the same level. In other words, high accuracy is required for a control system for an elevating drive means of an elevating body supporting the elevating guide rail. In actuality, in an upper and lower path switching device for a conveyance carriage which conveys a heavy load such as an automobile body, the elevating control target including the elevating body and the elevating guide rail is large in size and heavy in weight, so that a positioning means for the elevating guide rail as described in the known document is simultaneously used.
Thus, as a means for positioning the elevating guide rail in the conventional upper and lower path switching device for a traveling body for transportation as described in the known document, in particular, means for positioning the elevating guide rail at a level at which it is connected to the lower fixed guide rails, a receiving member for receiving the entire elevating control target including the elevating body and the elevating guide rail at a level at which the elevating guide rail is connected to the lower fixed guide rail is provided. In this conventional constitution, not only is the receiving member required to have great load bearing, the elevating drive means which elevates the elevating body operates even after received by the receiving member although this operating time is short, so that, for example, in the case of a suspending chain type elevating drive means which is frequently used in such a type of device, a suspending chain loosens after the elevating body is received by the receiving member, and therefore, a measure for preventing the suspending chain from coming off a guide wheel or the like must also be taken, and as a result, the facility cost increases as a whole.